Suzie’s House 530 : Hitchhiker

“We’re wasting time.” Miranda had already said the same thing a dozen times in the last half hour.

Frankly, Suzie was getting fed up with it even as she understood Miranda’s feelings. Being patient when the man you loved put his life on the line was torture. Try doing it for over a year, Miranda, Suzie thought to herself.

“I’m open to suggestions,” Drew said in a voice that only partly sounded like this might be the truth. “We’ve already called the police.”

“Like we’re going to wait the 24 hours they require.” Miranda snorted in an very unladylike manner. “But haven’t we been on this road already? We’re just going in circles.”

This was true. It wasn’t like the trails of red droplets had gotten them very far. They’d followed to the highway, then gone a little way out of town before asking around. No one had seen anything. The trail was cold. They really should simply give up and go home. Maybe a miracle would happen and Vin would escape on his own.

But Suzie would not be the one to suggest it. Drew probably wouldn’t either. Instead, they would go around in ever widening circles along these county highways until Miranda finally threw in the towel. Temporarily.

It wasn’t like any of them would ever really give up on Vin. They would just have to retrench for a while. It might take them weeks, but they would find the clues and eventually find the man. Or whatever might be left of him.

Because when all was said and done, did they have any chance of finding him in time? Those suspicious puddles in the parking lot… It might already be too late.

“We missed a connecting road.” Drew slowed for a turn.

The rush of rusty greenery on either side of the road slowed from blur to woods not quite ready for fall. If Suzie concentrated she could see furrowed fields of dark soil or late-stage corn crops past the trees. The waning sunlight would have made it all quite pretty if not for their worries.

“What’s that?” Miranda reached between the front seats to point out the windshield.

“Hitchhiker, I think.” Drew sounded speculative. He didn’t speed up much after the turn.

“Are we going to pick him up NOW?” Miranda’s temper snapped in her words.

“Well… yeah. Yeah, I think so.”

The car glided to a stop right in front of the ragged man with a thumb out.

Miranda looked like she was gearing up for a complete melt down when she made eye contact with the hitchhiker.

“Vin!” She threw open the car door and jumped out, almost falling off her wicked heels before he caught her and pulled her close.

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